Sooner or later you’ll need to carry something longer than your rack, timber, extrusions, sheets. Overhanging is fine when it’s done right, but a long load catches wind and puts serious strain on the front of your rack. Get the strapping and the length wrong and you’ve got a problem at highway speed.

Here’s how to do it safely.

Strap Close to the Front

A long overhanging load generates a lot of lift. Wind comes up the windscreen and gets caught underneath the load, creating strong vertical up-force.

To counter it, strap as close to the front of the rack as you can. That’s where the lift is trying to pull the load up, so that’s where you want your anchor.

Choke the Load, and Involve the Crossbar

Don’t just strap over the top of the material. You want the strap wrapped around both the load and a crossbar:

1. Choke the product with the strap
2. Run under the crossbar, over the material, and back through
3. The strap now loops around the material and the crossbar together

Tying it this way, through the crossbar rather than just over the load, makes the whole setup noticeably stronger and stops the load lifting away from the rack.

Leverage Is Your Worst Enemy

The real risk with overhanging isn’t just the weight, it’s the leverage. The further your load extends past the end of the rack, the more strain it puts on the front mount and feet. A modest weight on a long overhang can load those front feet far harder than the same weight sat squarely on the rack.

The 10% Rule

As a general guide: for every 10% you extend past the end of the rack, drop your carried weight (or rating) by 10%.

It’s a simple way to keep the load off the front mounts within safe limits.

Watch Out for Solid Sheets

Long timber is one thing. Solid sheets are another, they catch far more wind and put extreme pressure on the front feet at length.

Wedgetail racks are built strong enough to handle a lot of pressure, but as a rule of thumb, try not to overhang much beyond 800 to 900mm if you can avoid it. Keep it shorter where you can, strap it properly, and your rack, and your load, will thank you.

Load Smart, Travel Safe

Overhanging materials is completely doable with the right technique. Strap to the front, involve the crossbar, respect the leverage, and keep your overhang sensible. Do that and you’ll carry long loads confidently, without punishing your rack.